Afternoon tea gets an Indian-inspired makeover from the winners of Bake Off: The Professionals 2024…
It’s my mother’s birthday, and today we’re celebrating at Kinaara, the InterContinental’s in-house restaurant by the Greenwich Peninsula, indulging in an Indian-inspired afternoon tea.
Serving Indian ‘street food’ alongside scones with clotted cream and jam brings an intriguing twist to the quintessentially British afternoon tea—a fusion that’s rapidly gaining popularity at establishments like the Taj Hotel.
The scene is serene. Just across from where we sit, the towering buildings of Canary Wharf loom, while Old Father Thames meanders lazily below. There’s a certain irony woven into it all: over 400 years ago, ships of the East India Company set sail from this very stretch of river, bringing back the tea that would go on to define our beloved cuppa and become a lasting symbol of British culture. And now, here we are — my Indian mother and I — savouring an afternoon tea that blends British and Indian flavours, tastes, and cultures, though thankfully without the imperial baggage.
The menu, Chai by the Shore, has been crafted by Executive Pastry Chefs Tanuj and Narayan, champions of this year’s Bake Off: The Professionals. While I can’t claim to be a fan of the show myself, my mother — an avid watcher — was positively giddy at the prospect of trying their creations. I couldn’t help but wonder if her high expectations — shaped by what she’d seen on the ‘telly’ — would be met on the plate.
Adnan, our ever-attentive waiter, presented the savouries as we sipped our champagne: coronation chicken finger sandwiches, tangy Ragstone goat’s cheese on beetroot bread and dahi puri. But first, we started with warm bread pakora and a paneer puff. The pakora — a sandwich filled with curried chickpeas and potato, dipped in gram flour batter and fried to a crisp golden brown — delivered a deep, satisfying crunch. The paneer puff, however, was underwhelming; the cheese was barely detectable, leaving the fritter somewhat lacking in flavour.
The honey-glazed Ragstone goat cheese worked beautifully with the beetroot bread, while the sweetness of the fig compote provided a wonderful contrast with a pistachio lattice adding both crunch and visual flair. The dahi puri — a vibrant mix of spiced chickpeas, sweetened yogurt, tamarind and mint sauce — was encased in a crispy semolina shell, offering a perfect bite-sized burst of flavour.
Among the savouries, the coronation chicken stood out. The succulent corn-fed chicken mixed with coriander and mango chutney balanced sweetness with a gentle hint of spice.
Unlike those indulgent afternoon teas where you can shamelessly summon endless refills, here restraint is the name of the game. Refills aren’t on offer; however, with 17 varieties of tea to choose from, you can at least distract yourself by sampling as many brews as your bladder can tolerate — a fair trade, perhaps. I went straight for the champagne of teas — an organic Darjeeling 1st Flush so fragrant it transported me instantly back to the misty foothills of the Himalayas. The delicate Jasmine Silver Needle is also worth a try; its floral notes go down beautifully.
Next up are the sweet treats, elegantly presented on a simple rectangular metal stand that echoes the linear lines of the surrounding architecture. You’ll be hard-pressed not to snap a photo of this tempting display.
All of the desserts are reassuringly balanced; none threaten to strip the enamel off your teeth, as is all too common with overly sweet offerings. First on the plate is a pistachio and rose sharing cake, inspired by the distinctive dry cakes of Southeast India—a pairing that feels both decadent and delicately refined. Who knew that the richness of pistachios and the essence of rose could make such a perfect couple? Surprisingly light yet indulgent, it’s the sort of dessert that seduces you into a second bite before you even realise it. The only downside is that it had to be divided, but I made sure my mother got the larger piece—it is her special day, after all.
My favourite, alongside the pistachio and rose cake, is the Alphonso mango tart — a sunny delight, not to be confused with the sugary drink — that practically bursts with tropical goodness. The flavour of the Alphonso mango paired with green cardamom and a touch of passion fruit feels like a mini exotic vacation for the taste buds. Vibrant and refreshing, it’s just the thing to brighten up any afternoon. There’s also a choux — a light pastry filled with white crèmeux and black sesame praline — and a delightful potti yogurt cheesecake with raspberry and carrom biscuit.
The afternoon tea ends on a high note with warm scones and fennel rusk, served alongside a lavish spread of accompaniments: clotted cream, rose-strawberry preserve, honey orchid tea jelly and a silky buttermilk namelaka. The scones are as they should be — warm, fluffy and practically crying out for that spread of cream and jam (or is it jam first, followed by the cream?). What began as a colonial import has transformed into something far richer: a reimagined afternoon tea tradition as layered as the desserts themselves.
Tanuj and Narayan should feel justly proud of delivering a menu as decadent as it is delightful. It’s a grand finale to an afternoon of indulgence and discovery — one that surpassed my expectations and, more importantly, left my mother absolutely beaming.
Champagne afternoon tea costs £70 per person. For more details and to make a reservation at Kinaara, please visit www.iclondon-the02.com.
